General Election 2024: Why and how to vote

The General Election is now just over a week away, and the time for all of us to use our voices has never been more crucial. Standing as we are on the brink of a new government, with new policies, it can feel worrying, especially with some parties still unclear on how exactly they will implement better climate education in schools. After all, the next government will have an absolutely crucial role to play in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises, and determining whether or not we meet our targets set for 2030.

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We know that climate education needs to be a key part of these targets, if we are to equip all young people with the skills and knowledge they need to be able to respond to the challenges the future will pose, and yet we still need to see more action from parties on this.

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Currently, voting rates among 18-25-year-olds are the lowest among any age demographic. This General Election, we need to change this. We need to show our politicians that young people truly care about their futures, and want to be as prepared as they possibly can be to deal with, and mitigate, the effects of climate and ecological breakdown. If we can all use our voices by taking to the ballot to empower candidates who are committed to improving the state of climate education in schools, we will be able to demand urgent and decisive action, and make a real difference.

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Last Saturday, we at Teach the Future joined the Restore Nature Now march in London, bringing climate education into the cacophony of demands and asks to whoever our next government will be. The march had an incredible atmosphere formed of thousands of passionate, like-minded people and organisations, all with unique and individual reasons for joining forces to demand a better future. This march was a microcosmic representation of what happens when such a wide range of people come together and really can achieve something incredible. Diverse and intersectional action is absolutely vital in dealing with the climate crisis, and only by comprehensive climate education can we truly achieve this.

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We simply need more of this kind of broad action. If what happened on Saturday can be replicated at the election next week, with hundreds of thousands of people using their voices to speak up for a better future, we will be able to turn the tide and elect a better government.

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If you’re voting in person on the 4th July, don’t forget to bring photo ID. If you can’t vote in person, you can find more information about how to vote by post or by proxy here. Don’t let not being able to get to the polling station, or moving back home for the holidays put you off adding your voice to the rousing chorus of young people taking political action to help safeguard our futures.

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We have a rare chance here to truly turn things around at this election, and to make a difference on the issues that matter to us. Let’s make sure that we use it - the generations of the future will thank us for it.

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